Interview: Kevin Alejandro on Lucifer, Arrow & Making the Leap to Directing

Over the course of the past sixteen years, actor Kevin Alejandro has certainly been busy. Although he seems to be just one major film role away from the chance to expand on his appearances in movies, you will be hard-pressed to find a harder working actor in television. Since 2003, Alejandro has appeared in most of the new TV shows you’ve watched. The list currently includes Crossing Jordan, Las Vegas, 24, Medium, several CSI incarnations, Burn Notice, Weeds, Psych, Law and Order, and Grey’s Anatomy. His considerable range of experience and characters have led to bigger roles on cult hits like Southland, as well as major mainstream juggernauts like True Blood and Arrow.

Currently, he’s a standout series regular on Lucifer. That is no easy feat, considering the number of great actors that make up the cast of the ongoing, runaway hit. Alejandro has found depth in minor characters on both sides of the law. He has also found the humanity and agony that often makes things a little more complex than a mere morality story, packed with clear heroes and villains. A native of San Antonio TX, Alejandro represents a generation of character actor who proves time and time again that they can do just about anything in their art.

Beyond acting, Alejandro also finds the time to work at personal projects, such as the short film Bedtime Stories. If you can find a copy of the film, I recommend it highly. Alejandro proves here that he has an impressive, appealing knack for taking horrible, even tragic circumstances to a hilarious extreme. In this case, the circumstances come from an excellent, regrettably-short script by Adrian Cunningham. If he ever decides to take an extended break from acting, which no one wants him to do, Bedtime Story suggests he could bring us something truly interesting as a filmmaker.

Regardless of what he might be up to, Kevin Alejandro is a compelling, creative force. Watch him on Lucifer, and try not to be surprised when he is leading a cast in a future series. The question is what he might do. The answer, apparently, is just about anything.

Lucifer definitely seems to be picking up some significant attention from critics and viewers alike. How did you get involved as a main cast member? What was the most appealing aspect of the project?
I was just coming off of another show. It had recently gotten cancelled, and I was in this little bubble of not really knowing what to do. The moment that it went away, I got a phone call from my manager, saying the people over at Lucifer were interested in meeting me for a character that was going to be a recast. For one reason or another, whoever they had in the beginning, I’m not sure what happened, but it wasn’t the right fit. So I went in for a meeting with those guys, and I just loved them. I met Joe (Henderson) and Ildy (Modrovich), the showrunners and executive producers for the show, and they just sold me on it. They were just such amazing people that I wanted to work with them.

Yeah, that definitely makes sense. It actually takes us really nicely into my next question. Your character Detective Dan Espinoza has had one of the most challenging runs of the series so far. He’s definitely one of the characters on the show who tries to keep people guessing, and I really love the way you achieve that with him in a show filled with characters who are doing something along similar lines. Is it challenging to play a character of so many shades, knowing he could seemingly, but not necessarily, change on a dime?
Actually, it’s a breath of fresh air to play this guy. There’s a challenge in listening to what the other characters are saying, in terms of having a natural response to Lucifer and the whole Lucifer. It’s this thing of being genuinely confused by the words they say. “I’m a demon! I’m an angel!” And it’s like “God, you’re just so weird.” So the challenge is to embrace what they say, and to have a natural response to what they say.

You’re definitely the straight man on that show!
Definitely. One of the things I love about season 3 in particular is in playing this, they’re giving me the opportunity to have a bit more of a goofy presence. I’m really enjoying that.

It’s pretty awesome that you guys have been picked up for a third season. Have you been enjoying the massively positive reception to the show thus far?
Yeah, absolutely, man. I haven’t heard a single negative thing from the people who invest their time in watching our show. The fans are still loyal, and I think it’s a testament to how everyone in the cast loves going to work with each other. I think it really translates on the screen, and I think the audience sees how much fun we’re having. We genuinely are.

Yeah, that comes across very strongly.
I think that’s like a hidden character, which I don’t even think the writers knew was gonna be there. I think because we have so much fun, there’s a different kind of spark to it. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, when we have fun doing what we do. But then we handle the honest moments in the way that we should. I think the audience just really likes this hidden character we’ve created within each other’s interactions.

There’s a very unique dynamic among the actors and characters. The fact that everyone likes working together is something that really comes through. The fact that everyone likes the material, and wants everyone to do well with the material, is something else that really comes across. When those things are done really well, the audience is bound to respond, and I think this show handles that particularly well.
It’s exactly as you said. We enjoy the material, and we enjoy working with each other. It’s like we’re giant children who get to play every day. It just so happens that we’ve been able to make a career out of it!

Well, you’re not just getting attention from Lucifer. These days, you’re certainly known for Lucifer, I also know a lot of people who really enjoy your work as Sebastian/Brother Blood on Arrow. Are you a comic book fan at all? What attracted you to the character?
You know, I wasn’t as educated as much in the comic book world, beyond Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, the ones I grew up with. I did a show with Greg Berlanti called Golden Boy, right before Arrow came on. We did one season of that, and it was myself, Theo James, Chi McBride, Holt McCallany, and Bonnie Somerville. We did this great show, and formed sort of a trusting work relationship with Greg. Right after the show was over, he asked me about this character they were introducing on Arrow, and if I would be interested. I was like “Heck yeah, I’d be interested!”

But then, as soon as I said yes, the nerves came in. Now, I’m not just creating a character. I have to stay true to what has already been established in this comic book world, and be highly judged by the people who delve into that comic book world. Their senses are heightened, when someone comes on to play a character they like or dislike. It’s relieving for me to hear you say the character has been well accepted. I’ve been receiving a lot of positive feedback on that character.

And I loved it. I loved every moment of it.

I would actually go so far as to say that Detective Dan and Sebastian have some similarities. They both seem to be pretty committed to doing the right thing, even if their concept of that can, or is, rather warped. Do you feel any similarities between these characters, or even significant differences?
Absolutely, man. It’s exactly what you said. Sebastian Blood is blinded by his sense of what’s right and wrong. But both men make their decisions from what comes from their heart, so that’s definitely a similarity between them. For me, and this is obviously just my opinion, but the only truth that comes from a character comes from within you as a human being. That’s the truth that you bring as an actor to each character, and then you build upon that for characteristics of who this other person is that you’re playing.

For me, in order to attach anything to a character, I have to bring some sort of truth from within myself. I think with a lot of my characters you’ll see a truth within myself that resonates with each character. It’s the characteristics then that set them apart. I think if you watch a lot of my things, you’ll see a little bit of my qualities in each of my characters. I think that’s why you notice some of those similarities in my characters.

Well, to be sure, you’ve got one of the most diverse résumés of anyone working in television. You seem to be able to hit both good and evil characters. Your preference though, just in terms of the characters you seem to do the best with me, to me a viewer, are the ones who seem to be burdened with a self-awareness of their occasional or frequent moral ambiguity.
I think, as a human being, I’m that way (laughs)! I do like that. I’ve just been lucky to get those types of characters right now. When I first started, I wanted to be the bad guy, but there’s so much depth to having that moral struggle of knowing what’s right and knowing what’s wrong. Finding within yourself the justification to make the choice that you know is going to get you in trouble. I love the complexities of playing those characters, and I’ve been so fortunate, over the last several years, to be able to play those characters with those moral conflicts.

We can definitely apply some of those thoughts to Jesus on True Blood. I would personally call that your breakout role. Would you say that’s accurate, despite how long you had been a business by that point?
It’s a strange thing with breakouts. For me, within the industry, to casting directors and other directors, in terms of proving I could handle the responsibility of being in more than one episode, I think it was Ugly Betty for me. People in the industry were like “Oh, he can handle an arc, and he’s not a complete moron!

Oh, was that your first arc?
That was my first arc, dude, yeah! After that, I got on the radar, and then True Blood came along as the second breakout—particularly in the audience world. People were like “Oh, this dude is something different, but also someone I can relate to.” It’s just one of those businesses where you just keep going. You get like 500 no’s to 1 yes, and you know, it’s the no’s that make you stronger, make you work harder.

I did a movie with Harrison Ford years and years ago. We were sitting in a vehicle, and talking about this exact thing of breaking out. He was telling me how he went from working for 15 years, to being an overnight success. To get that title of “overnight” took me fifteen years. It’s just really tough. I see all the work that went into the peaks and valleys that I had to endure to get where I am. Even now, when Lucifer ends, I’ll be back into the world of trying to get another job. I love it, but the fear also settles in at the end of a program. It’s time to get back into the screws, and try for another one.

I just went on a whole tangent there, and I have no idea why! (laughs)

No, no, tangents are good, I promise! In cases like these, they can read really well.
Oh, okay, good!

I had the chance to watch your wonderful, delightfully dark short film Bedtime Story. Patrick Fischler, who I had the pleasure of interviewing not too long ago, did a great job as a writer who comes to terms with the quality of his work, as it relates to his desire to be successful. How did the script come your way? I know you directed it, but didn’t write it.
First of all, thank you! I was extremely nervous. You’re the first person, other than my team, and the festival circuit I’m trying to do. I just said “Fuck it. I’m gonna send you the link, so you can watch it.” It’s just such a personal thing, you know? So I was a little nervous, but I’m really happy to hear all of the nice things you’ve said so far.

In terms of how the script came into my lap, it’s kind of a long story. About a year and a half ago, I got this bug for directing. I wanted to learn how to do it. I wanted to learn everything about filmmaking. I also wanted to do it in a way that wasn’t going to cost me anything. So I started a YouTube channel, and I had an old JVC video camera that my wife had gotten me years ago. I shot a short film, and it led to this weekly thing, where I was trying to shoot different stories, create themselves. It was a challenge to myself to learn how to write, direct, edit, score, color, and every other aspect of filmmaking. Just doing it with a crew of 5 or less. I started my channel Alejandro Films. I was putting up one a week, but it became super-hard to do that, so you’ll notice there’s only been 7 or 8 in the past two years. It just became difficult. Life gets crowded with things to do.
So I’m living in Vancouver, doing the show, and my son is best friends with this kid whose father happens to be a writer. We’ve all become really good friends, and the writer’s name is Adrian Cunningham. He was like “I’ve noticed what you’re doing with the challenge, and I like it. I have a little short film, if you’re interested. I wrote it, and it has some loosely-based complexities that mirror my journey through life.” I looked at it, and I loved it.

I’m not lying when I say from the moment I read it, I was like “Patrick Fischler would be perfect for this.”

Oh, he was.
He was! From the moment I started reading it, and I had a picture in my head of who it should be, I knew it could be done. I told him I’d love to do it, and I started on it in Vancouver. I put together a team of my friends, and I talked to Patrick. Fortunately, I’ve known Patrick for years. We workshopped it together with the writer, and everyone was on board. I had just recently gotten accepted into the Warner Bros Directors Program, with the intention of directing my own episode of Lucifer this season. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to direct something, put a little of my own money behind it, and do it on as professional a level with my money and friends as possible. Mostly as practice for my opportunity to direct Lucifer, but also as my opportunity to do something on a festival level.

It’s been quite a learning curve, which is partially why Bedtime Story sort of worked out the way it had. We all made it happen together. I thought it was pretty smart. I loved the twists at the end. I like this story of how we all come into the world with whatever career you want to do. We have expectations, and we have desires, and we have drive, but for whatever reasons, things don’t work exactly the way you want. But in the end, you can get a certain level of success that you thought you wanted, but it’s for a different reason. I just liked the story of him getting kind of what he wanted, but not the way he wanted it.

And Fischler is just so great at capturing the look of a guy who is terrified, deeply offended, and desperate at the same time. There are all these great shots throughout the movie, where you see how he can do so many different things with just his face. That was definitely one of my favorite things, and I thought you captured all of that really well. I thought you captured the whole script really well.
I honestly don’t know how well it would have turned out with a different actor. It’s those levels of complexity, intelligence, fear, and all of the adjectives that you used to describe his performance. All those subtleties that he is capable of doing is what elevated the script and the scenes. Everyone had to come up to par with him to balance everything out. Without Patrick, it just wouldn’t have been as great an experience.

I’d say everyone definitely came up to par with that script. Every essential element of that short film is fantastic. So beyond that is the season 3 episode of Lucifer.
We have a lot of standalone episodes, because we have such a big order, and I think mine is one of the standalones. It’s the last episode of the season that we’re shooting. It’s great, because throughout all of this, I’m shadowing all of my favorite directors. So hopefully, I’m gonna be able to steal some great ideas from those guys, and get some advice and stuff.

When they approved me to direct an episode, I was like “Y…you’re kidding, right? Oh wait, this is real? Yes!” It’s amazing.

Yeah, I think you’re going to be just fine, man, if Bedtime Story is any indication. I asked Patrick this question, but I want to ask you, as well. Both of you have these long, wild resumes with film and TV. Like I actually remembered you from Red State, believe it or not.
Oh wow! That was years ago, and thank you!

So you’ve appeared in literally a couple dozen different TV shows during your career. Is there a show or performance that you’ve always wished more people would appreciate? With so many shows and movies over such a relatively short period of time, it stands to reason that something would get lost in the shuffle.
Definitely. I think Golden Boy for CBC would have to be it. It was my first opportunity to let Kevin Alejandro disappear. I didn’t see very much of myself in that character. There were only two New Yorkers in the show, and the show is all based in New York, and the rest of us were putting on these characters. Every time my manager would talk to me on the phone, he would be like “Dude, who are you? Lose the New York accent!”

It only went thirteen episodes, and then it went away. That’s one where it would have been cool to have people say “Man, I can’t believe you were that guy!” It’s one of the few opportunities I’ve had for myself to really disappear.

(Source: Cultured Vultures)

Written by Gabriel Ricard

Dani de JesusJanuary 23, 2018